Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin during an NCAA college football game against UCLA in Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. Plus a Santa hat. (Jae Hong/The Associated Press)

Lane Kiffin continues to be the gift that just keeps on re-gifting.

The former USC head football coach wormed his way into the news again this week. He showed up in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to “consult” with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban as the University of Alabama gears up for the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl.

Not that there’s any connection between Saban and Kiffin, who happen to share the same agent, Jimmy Sexton. It’s a well-played move to keep Kiffin’s name in circulation, maybe even start rumors that Saban may hire Kiffin as an offensive coordinator, especially if new USC head coach Steve Sarkisian decides to lure Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to L.A.

Bah, humbug.

Did you know today marks the two-year anniversary of when USC quarterback Matt Barkley told Kiffin he would return for his senior year? The one-time Heisman candidate did so by delivering a special Christmas ornament to Kiffin’s home.

And just 648 days later, USC decided Kiffin couldn’t even be used any longer as its hood ornament.

As part of our look back at the sports year 2013, we note the legacy of how the former Pete Carroll offensive coordinator asked to come back and save the probation-hit program played out during this rendition of the 12 days of Kiffmas:

On the first day of Kiffmas, my quarterback gave to me:

Matt Barkley slips Lane Kiffin an ornament on Dec. 21, 2011 that has a photo of the two embracing. It read “2011 great memories” on one side. On the other, Barkley wrote “One more year. To the memories next year.” At a press conference the next day, Barkley huddles with fans at Heritage Hall to announce he’s not going to the NFL just yet, leading to a wild commotion, striking up the USC band and bringing a huge smile to Kiffin — a stark contrast to how Carroll was visibly upset when quarterback Mark Sanchez left with remaining eligibility.

On the second day of Kiffmas, the AP gave to me:

With the weight of the NCAA bowl ban gone, the Trojans are named No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason poll on Aug. 18, 2012. “To be handed down what they said could be a death penalty could take USC 10 years to come back from, then to have this recognition and be preseason No. 1 is very exciting for our fans because a lot people thought two years ago that this would not be possible for USC,” Kiffin said. It also should be noted Kiffin, a voting member of the USA Today coaches’ poll, said in the preseason he would not name his team No. 1. That is, until USA Today disclosed he indeed vote his team No. 1.

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On the third day of Kiffmas, my wide receiver gave to me:

In the first offensive play of the 2012 season opener against Hawaii, Marquis Lee catches a screen pass from Barkley and turns it into a 75-yard touchdown. It would be a play Kiffin would try again and again and again and ...

Oh, and sorry again to Norm Chow, the former USC offensive coordinator and Hawaii head coach. Kiffin wouldn’t allow him to take his team onto the Coliseum field for a Friday walk-though. It’s just company policy.

On the fourth day of Kiffmas, the media gave to me:

An ultimatum. Kiffin told reporters they could not report on injuries, fearing it would give other teams an advantage. That gave him enough reason to ban Daily News writer Scott Wolf from two weeks of practices and pull his credential for the Trojans’ next home game on Sept. 22. Wolf had gone “against policy” by reporting on an injury suffered by kicker Andre Heidari in the Week 2 game at Syracuse. The ban was lifted two days later, but the line had been drawn. Two weeks later, Kiffin was asked after a practice about an injury to center Khaled Holmes. Kiffin heaved a sigh, turned and left, leaving a YouTube clip for all to break down.

On the fifth day of Kiffmas, Stanford gave to me:

A miserable, title-toppling 21-14 loss, just three games into the ’12 season. The Trojans, held scoreless in the second half, did a free-fall to No. 13 in the AP rankings.

On the sixth day of Kiffmas, my punter gave to me:

Number 6, take my number 35. During a 50-6 win over Colorado on Oct. 20, 2012, backup quarterback Cody Kessler changed from No. 6 to No. 35, a number worn by punter Kyle Negrete. Kessler then attempted to run for a two-point conversion, but the play was killed by a holding penalty. In the second half, Kessler went back to wearing No. 6, a violation of NCAA rules about deceiving an opponent. “We change jerseys all the time with our guys,” Kiffin said. “Everything’s within college rules.” Yeah, well ...

On the seventh day of Kiffmas, the student manager gave to me:

A half-dozen deflated footballs. During the now No. 18-ranked Trojans’ record-breaking, 62-51 home loss to No. 2 Oregon, an unnamed “rogue” student manager decided to take the air out of the six footballs USC used when it was on offense against the Ducks, supposedly to give Barkley a better grip. “Darn it, unusual things just keep happening when Lane Kiffin is around,” Yahoo.com’s Pat Forde wrote. “But I’m here today to give him the benefit of the doubt. The question is how much longer (A.D. Pat) Haden wants to give his dubious coach the benefit of the doubt.”

On the eighth day of Kiffmas, UCLA’s Anthony Barr gave to me:

A season-ending sack to Barkley to punctuate the Bruins’ 38-28 win at the Rose Bowl. Haden later said he was “150 percent” behind Kiffin staying as head coach, even as the team would lose the next week to No. 1 Notre Dame.

On the ninth day off Kiffmas, my father gave to me:

His resignation. USC’s 72-year-old defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, had enough. He said on Nov. 29, 2012 that he was leaving after three seasons because he wanted to get back into the NFL. So he ended up in Dallas. How ’bout them Cowboys now? Papa Kiffin wasn’t around to see the Trojans’ uninspired, wind-swept 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech in the New Year’s Eve Sun Bowl, which means USC ended its ’12 season losing five of its last six games.

On the 10th day of Kiffmas, my A.D. gave to me:

Another vote of confidence. In July, 2013, just prior to the Pac-12 media day meetings, Haden posted a video message: “I anticipate the media will ask me if our football coach is on the hot seat this year. Here is my answer and will be my answer whenever I’m asked: He is not. I’m behind Lane Kiffin 100 percent. I have great confidence in him. He’s a very hard-working, detail-oriented coach. He’s a dynamic playcaller, in my estimation, and he’s an exceptional recruiter. He knows USC and he knows what it takes to be successful here.”

On the 11th day of Kiffmas, the AP gave to me:

A preseason No. 24 ranking for 2013. Which dropped to No. 25 after an uninspired win in the opener at Hawaii. And which dropped altogether after a 10-7 home-opening loss to Washington State. The start was as erratic as Kiffin’s decision to split time with quarterbacks Cody Kessler and Max Wittek before one emerged as the starter.

On the 12th day of Kiffmas, my A.D. gave to me:

Haden has seen enough during the Trojans’ 62-41 waxing on Sept. 29, 2013 at Arizona State. He intercepted Kiffin on the team plane after it landed at LAX in the early hours of Sunday and terminated him in a terminal lounge.